Beautiful and very rare letter with important and interesting content. Entirely handwritten, signed and stamped by the mashgiach of the Torat Chessed yeshivah in Brisk, the gaon and tzaddik Rabbi Avraham Ya’akov Gordon, author of Nefesh Chayah [the gaon Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman’s teacher]. Brisk, Ta’anit Esther, 1934. Letters from him are uncommon.
Discussion among mashgichim – sacred and unusual. The letter is addressed to the mashgiach’s friend, the gaon Rabbi Hillel Vitkin, one of the leading ba’alei mussar in Lithuania and rosh yeshivah of Beit Yosef-Novhardok in the Land of Israel. The author of Nefesh Chayah writes about a prominent young man who would like to be accepted into the Novhardok yeshivah, however, as can be gleaned from this letter, Rabbi Vitkin, rosh yeshivah of Novhardok, issued a condition for the young man’s acceptance to his yeshivah – that the young man swear with a handshake (!) that he will stay at the yeshivah for two solid years without leaving in the middle. The author of Nefesh Chayah complies with this unusual [although possibly standard at the time?] request, and he informs the rosh yeshivah of Novhardok that he has indeed sworn the young man by handshake that he will not leave the yeshivah for two full years.
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for brief biographies of the gaon and tzaddik Avraham Ya’akov Gordon and the addressee, the gaon Rabbi Hillel Vitkind.
[1] leaf paper, 20 cm.
Fine condition. Fold marks. Filing perforations. Aging stains.